Cassandra: a True Vegetarian
by Karynakk
Summary: The Denalis may have lost a sister... but they've found another to fill the void. But Cassandra isn't like other people: she's a vegetarian and refuses to hurt animals. How will she cope when she is forced to join the world of vampires? Book 1 of my series.
1. Chapter 1

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

_**Prologue**_

_ Anchorage, Alaska. A simple enough place to live, though I had to admit my life was anything but simple after starting high school here. I had lived here for my entire existence, but of course the place itself wasn't what changed my life; it was the people who moved here. They were freshmen in high school, just like me. They came on the first day and basically kept to themselves as anybody else would have, but it was painstakingly obvious that everyone was avoiding them. This small, insignificant detail was what started all the chaos._

**Chapter 1**

I walked over to our lunch table and sat down, looking around at the people I considered my friends. Veronica Stone, my only friend from elementary school, was sitting next to me and talking about a back-to-school party she had been invited to. Jack Derekson, sitting on my other side, was new to our middle school and had latched onto our group within a few days. Sandra Rodriguez, a foreign exchange student from Spain, was only here for the year and had eagerly accompanied me everywhere I went- mostly because I was nearly fluent in Spanish. And Clara Bonaparte, who simply hung out with us because we didn't make fun of her name- she was in no way related to Napoleon.

I had to admit that most of our ties weren't strong, which just seemed pathetic, but at least we didn't just sit alone all the time. The only bond that seemed strong by any definition was the bond between Jack and me. We had never understood why Jack hadn't been drawn in by the prep boys- he was certainly cute enough for that- and had started hanging out with us, but Veronica was convinced that it was because he had a crush on me. As much as I wanted to believe it- after all, I liked him, too- I just couldn't bring myself to ask, so we just hung out like average friends.

So when I saw the two lonely, unfamiliar girls sitting at a corner table all by themselves, I didn't feel guilty in the slightest to leave my group to talk to them.

"Who are they?" I asked Veronica as soon as I could get a word in. She paused to see where I was looking, then giggled.

"That's Tanya and her sister, Kate. They just moved here from somewhere in the continental United States. They look like super models-to-be, but honestly, there's just something creepy about them, don't you think?"

I looked at them again, more closely this time, and I had to admit she had a point; there was an intimidating air about them that seemed naturally repellant. Of course, that wasn't going to stop me from getting to know them, because they might be nice people and I would hate to be alone in a new school if _I_ were in that position.

"I'm going to go talk to them," I said firmly, getting up from my chair.

"Whatever." Veronica waved it away, but Jack caught my wrist before I could take a step.

"Cassandra," he said. My heart did little flips at the sound of my name on his lips, but I kept my face blank. "Are you sure that's a good idea? There's something weird about them, I can feel it. Maybe they're dangerous…"

I rolled my eyes and gently pulled my hand away. "Well, there's only one way to find out for sure. You can't judge a book by its cover, you know." I grinned at him, and he smiled slightly back, though it didn't touch his eyes.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still…" I touched his cheek with my hand, silencing him, and turned to the newest members of our student body.

"Hi," I said nervously, walking up to them. They both looked at me in surprise. "I heard you're new here?"

"Yes," the one closest to me said. She had light blonde curls with a strawberry tint and a musical voice that could put any singer to shame.

I realized my mouth had dropped open, so I tried to hide it with another question.

"Where did you come from?"

"We came up from Washington over the summer. Our mother-" did she cringe, or was it my imagination? – "wanted to move here for personal reasons. We could not deny her." There was a hint of sorrow in her beautiful voice, but she kept it hidden from her face.

"Yeah, I suppose it's hard to adjust to a new school and everything, but I'm sure you'll love it here when you get used to it." I couldn't completely empathize with them, considering I had never been in their situation before, but I could at least try to sympathize. Maybe.

"Oh, I'm sure we will," the other girl said, flashing me a brilliant smile. I thought I heard the first one laugh, but she still had the same expression on her face, so I must have imagined it.

"Um." I took a deep breath. Her smile was even more intimidating than the aura around them, but I couldn't let that turn me away; they seemed nice enough to me, and not dangerous at all. "What are your names?"

"Of course! How rude of me," the strawberry-blonde said. "I am Tanya Cullen, and this is my sister Kate." Kate gave me another unsettling smile, looking as if she was enjoying some kind of joke.

"I'm Cassandra Llewellyn," I stuttered. "It's nice to meet you." Tanya smiled this time, and her grin was much more inviting than Kate's.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, too," she said. Then she turned to her sister. "See, Kate! The first day of freshman year, and already we're making friends." They both laughed and looked at me.

"We should probably get to class," Kate said. "It'd be a pity if we were late on our first day." Tanya nodded and got up from the table, waving a friendly good-bye as they walked away. I waved back, smiling weakly, before going to sit next to Jack and Veronica again.

"So, how'd it go?" Jack asked, touching my shoulder. "Did you make some new friends, or some new enemies?"

"I have no idea!" I groaned. He looked at me for a moment and shrugged.

"You can think about it later. Let's get to class." I smiled as he helped me up and walked with him to dump his tray before we went our separate ways.

My next class was gym. I was neutral when it came to sports and physical activity, but no other girls in school ever seemed to enjoy it, so I was stuck sitting on the gym floor with a bunch of whiney teenagers while we waited for the bell to ring. I leaned back onto my book bag to wait out the class just as two more girls slipped through the door. They both looked like they would rather have skipped, just like the rest of the class.

Tanya and Kate smiled when they caught my eye and went to sit at the edge of the mob, where everyone was most spread out. Everyone within spitting distance shuffled away from them subconsciously, and I just watched in disbelief. How could anyone be so unlikeable on their first day of school? I rolled my eyes and crawled over to sit in front of them.

"Hi again," I said tentatively, leaning back on my bag a second time.

"Hello, Cassandra," Tanya greeted warmly.

"Hey, Cassy!" Kate said. Her sister gave her a sharp look. "Um, you don't mind if I call you that, do you?" she added quickly.

"Not at all," I replied. "A lot of people call me that." I grinned. Only my close friends (or Jack) ever bothered to give me a nickname.

"So, are any of your other friends in this class?" Tanya asked casually. "I'd love to meet them."

She had said any of your _other_ friends! I gained hope from that statement.

"Not really," I admitted. "My closest friend is a guy, and my three other friends aren't taking PE this semester." I laughed. "Probably afraid they'll break a nail."

"Really?" Tanya asked, looking surprised.

"You have to have more friends than that!" Kate said in disbelief. I just shook my head. "Unbelievable."

"You were brave enough to talk to us," Tanya said. "And very friendly."

"Thank you," I whispered, "but I'm actually pretty shy. I just know I wouldn't want to be alone on my first day in a new place, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else, either. So, I talked to you so you wouldn't feel lonely, since apparently no one else had the courtesy." I gave the chattering teenage girls behind me a disapproving look.

"That is very kind of you," Tanya said, "but you do not need to give up anything for our benefit; we will not be lonely."

I smiled ruefully. "Trust me, I'm not giving anything up. I'm happy to get to know you."

"Okay," Tanya said, smiling back. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Cassandra Llewellyn."


	2. Chapter 2

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 2**

I spent the next week getting to know my new friends, talking about this and that and asking questions about their habits.

"Aren't you hungry?" I asked, looking at the empty table in front of them.

"No, we're not," Kate said, looking amused. "What about you? The only thing on that plate is lettuce!"

"There's other vegetables, too," I argued, looking up into her golden eyes. "I just don't feel comfortable eating meat. I'm a vegetarian." I smiled proudly, and they exchanged glances.

"Why?" Tanya asked, raising her eyebrows.

"The animals didn't do anything to me!" I replied, exasperated. "I don't want to eat some innocent creature! I'll do anything, or eat anything if it keeps me from hurting them." I looked down again, picking at my salad.

"Interesting," said Tanya. "Does it bother you that everyone else in this room eats meat?"

"Do you eat meat?"

"Sort of." Her vague answer confused me, but it was obvious she wasn't going to say any more, so I let it go.

"It doesn't really _bother_ me, because I'm so used to seeing it, but I would definitely appreciate it if people would stop eating it," I hinted, smiling wryly.

"I'm afraid that's an impossibility," Tanya replied, rolling her eyes. "Sorry." I shrugged, hiding my mild disappointment.

"A girl can dream." We all laughed and continued on to less important conversations.

Thursday morning came to reveal a rare bright, sunny day. I smiled in expectation, eager to share it with my old and new friends, but my excitement dampened when Tanya and Kate failed to show up for lunch.

"Where are the two new girls?" Jack asked when I sat down next to him.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe they both got sick, or maybe they're ditching to enjoy the sunshine. They wouldn't be the only ones." He made a face.

"Well, I'm glad you're back, at least for today," he said. I blushed.

"You could easily join me at the table with Tanya and Kate, you know."

"Maybe." He paused as he looked over at the currently-empty table. "I don't know. I still think there's something weird about them. Their eyes freak me out; did you notice they change color?"

"Yeah, I did think I saw that once," I said, "but it was probably just the lighting or something."

"Maybe," he replied, unsure. "I guess I could try sitting with you. I mean, it's not like they bite or anything." We laughed, glad that the tension in the air was lifted, and finished our lunch before running off to our next classes.

Gym brought with it the same result as lunch: no Cullen sisters. They had to have been skipping school; what were the odds that both of them were sick on the same day? I wondered where they could have gone all day, in my classes, at my locker, even when I was walking home. Maybe they went to visit family and just forgot to mention it? I was so distracted that I didn't realize I had made a wrong turn until I nearly ran into the wall blocking my way.

I stumbled back toward the main road, feeling stupid for missing my street. I had walked this path at least a thousand times for crying out loud! The sky darkened as the last bit of sunlight was obscured by the clouds, and I pulled on my jacket.

Suddenly, something rushed by me, making me trip against a wall. I looked around wildly, but the alley was empty except for a few overflowing trash cans. I stepped toward the light again carefully, watching every object around me in my peripheral vision. Something slammed into my side, forcing me against the wall again and nearly knocking the breath out of me in the process. I gasped as two cold hands pinned my arms to my sides and two dangerously close, golden eyes burned into me.

I closed my own and prepared to die.


	3. Chapter 3

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 3**

"Garrett!" a familiar voice said sternly. My captor groaned quietly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Kate!" I breathed in relief, relaxing as the man let go reluctantly.

"Sorry, Katie," he said in a surprisingly smooth voice. "I couldn't help myself. I still don't understand the necessity of your diet. I'm dying for something more appetizing."

"This isn't just about our diet this time, honey," she said, right next to us now. "That's my friend!" His eyes widened, appalled.

"Oh! Um, I'm sorry. I'll just… go." He kissed her on the cheek and… disappeared. She smiled dizzily before turning to me.

"You okay, Cassy?" she asked slowly, looking me over. I nodded dumbly.

"What just happened?" I choked. "I was walking home, and then he was there, and then you were there, and now he's gone, and I'm totally confused!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's been dying for some human blood, but I've managed to keep him clean so far." Something behind her hissed, making me jump, but she just rolled her eyes. "She has a right to know," Kate said to the shadows. "How could we let her go through _that_ without an explanation?"

Tanya stepped into the vague light and sighed. "I suppose she'll have to know _now_." She turned to me hesitantly, still talking to her sister. "Perhaps you should go ensure Garrett is running straight home, without detours." Kate nodded and ran off. There was a long silence.

"So, what's the story?" I finally asked, a bit impatient.

"We are not like you, Cassandra," she replied, stepping forward. "Have you ever wondered why we don't eat, why we dislike gym, why we weren't here today?" I nodded. "We can't be seen in the sun without rousing suspicions. We are much faster and much more coordinated than any human, so your silly PE games bore us. We don't eat normal, human food because we aren't _human_."

"Then what are you?" I asked weakly.

"Vampires," she answered, tensing for my reaction.

I just stared at her blankly as the single word sank in. I should have been terrified, if what she was saying was true, but all I felt was awe. Who else in the world could say they had befriended mythical creatures?

I suppose her other expectation was laughter; her story was so insane, how could it possibly be true? Yet I believed her, believed her with every cell in my body, because it _made sense_. It explained so much!

"Okay," I said slowly, crossing my arms. "But if you're vampires, why haven't you drunken my blood?"

"Easy; we only drink the blood of animals." I flinched. "That's why we cannot be 'vegetarian,' by human definition; only by ours."

I nodded, and the interrogation began. I asked her every question about vampires I could think of, ranging from if the burned in the sun to how you become a vampire yourself. She explained the whole three-day transformation process in gruesome detail, strengthening the idea that I would never want to become one myself.

"What was your reaction to me that first day," I asked, "when some stupid, unsuspecting human walked up to say hi?"

"We were quite surprised by your courage, that you would go against your instinct like that. That's why nobody comes near us, by the way; your instincts tell you we're dangerous, even if you don't consciously realize it." I nodded as I thought back to that conversation with Jack before meeting the new kids and laughed.

"Well, maybe most people don't realize it consciously."

"What do you mean?" Tanya asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It's no big deal," I assured her. "Just something Jack mentioned before I decided to talk to you. The fact that I haven't died yet probably diminished any suspicions."

"What did he say? Cassandra, we need to know this; we cannot let _anybody_ know what we are. This knowledge has put you in great danger, and we don't want it to hurt anyone else if we can help it." I thought for a moment.

"I think his words were 'are you sure that's a good idea? There's something weird about them, maybe they're dangerous' or something like that," I replied. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Did he mention anything else about us?"

I paused, remembering our conversation at lunch. He was right; their eyes did change color. But could he really jump to a conclusion as insane as the truth?

She read the hesitation in my eyes.

"Tell me," she urged. "You wouldn't want your friend Jack to be in danger, would you?" I sighed and shook my head.

"He just mentioned the color of your eyes," I said. "He didn't think much of it. Personally, I think he's making excuses for me to hang out with him more instead of you." I smiled weakly, and she smiled back.

"We will need you to keep track of his theories," said Tanya, touching my shoulder. "It is of the utmost importance that our secret remains a secret, and it would be most helpful if you would know what people think of us." Her smile turned wistful. "If only Edward were here." I laughed. Yes, Tanya had shared everything about her 'extended family' in Washington, including her little crush on the newly-married mind reader. I had to admit, I couldn't argue with her statement; it would be much easier to keep a secret if you read minds like he did.

"I'll try my best," I promised.


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 4**

"I forgot to mention something yesterday." We sat down at our usual table and my two vampire friends looked at me expectantly.

"Well, Jack might be sitting with us today, if he has the guts. Is that okay?"

"That's fine," Kate replied. "It'll be easier to see his reactions when he's up close and personal." She smiled the slightly menacing smile that used to make me uncomfortable.

Of course, Tanya had filled Kate in on the story as soon as I was safely home, so now she knew everything about our conversation. She seemed amused that Jack was considered a threat, though with her talent I supposed it would seem silly.

"Here he comes," Tanya giggled, watching as Jack stood at his table, staring at me wearily. I smiled encouragingly and beckoned him over. He walked hesitantly forward until he was at our table, then stopped.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked timidly, looking at the new kids. Tanya smiled her non-frightening smile.

"Of course! We'd love to have one of Cassandra's friends join us." He grinned a little in return and sat across from them, next to me. We sat in silence for a moment, some of us eating, some of us watching.

"Kate, don't you have a date with Garrett next week?" Tanya asked, breaking the silence. Kate looked at her in confusion, then jerked forward like someone had kicked her. Tanya glanced at Jack meaningfully, who was currently staring at me.

"Yeah, I do!" Kate said, catching on to whatever her sister wanted. What were they up to? "But I'm a little nervous. It's our first date, and I don't know if I want to be alone with him yet." I didn't believe that for a minute; I saw the way she looked when he kissed her, heard the way she talked to him, and it was obvious they had been together for much longer than she claimed. I raised an eyebrow.

"How about you double-date?" Tanya asked, glancing at me and away so quickly I wasn't sure I hadn't imagined it.

"I don't know anyone who would go with me," Kate sniffled. Her face was so pathetic, I wanted to go over and hug her, to comfort her. Even Jack seemed to notice her shift in moods.

"I can help," he said, tearing his eyes from me. "I know lots of couples here."

"Oh, would you?" she asked hopefully, her eyes almost pleading.

"Uh, sure," he said, blinking. "I guess I could ask Veronica…"

"Um, Jack, we don't really know anyone at this school yet," Tanya cut in, "and I'm sure Kate would feel more comfortable if she knew the couple herself."

"Oh," he said lamely, looking down.

"I know!" Kate said happily. "You and Cassy could come!" I froze and the fork dropped out of my hand. Of all the things I could have seen coming, this was definitely not one of them. What if he said no? Or worse, what if he said _yes_? What would I wear? Would he go because of her, or because of me? Did he even like me that much? I had so many questions!

"S-sure," he stuttered. "I mean, if you're okay with it, Cassandra." I realized my mouth had dropped open, and I closed it quickly before he saw. Everyone was watching me now, waiting for my answer. I just nodded.

"Great!" Kate said, smiling in a surprisingly non-frightening way. "We're meeting at my house at eight on Wednesday." She scribbled her address down on a piece of paper and gave it to him before turning to me. "I'll pick you up, if you want." I nodded again, my thoughts too incoherent to form any other answer.

"I… guess I'll see you then," he said, looking at me one last time. Then he stood up and strode across the cafeteria to dump his tray.

"What was that?" I hissed as soon as he was gone.

"Oh, please! I see the way he looks at you, Cassandra, and trust me, I was doing you both a favor."

"I never asked for you to help me with my love life!"

"You didn't need to; it was obvious it needed help without you saying so."

"So? What if he had said no? What if _I_ didn't want to go?" She snorted.

"Cassandra," Tanya said, looking at me. "Can you honestly say that you're _not_ excited to have a date with Jack on Wednesday?" I looked down to hide my blush.

"Still," I muttered. "You could have warned me."

"It was a spur-of-the-moment decision," she replied. "Even _I_ was not warned." I laughed and looked at Kate.

"Does Garrett know he has a date on Wednesday?" She shrugged.

"We were planning on testing his self-control soon, anyhow. Now we just have a set date for it." I sighed; it was impossible to stay mad at these two, especially when I was secretly thankful for what they'd done. Of course I would never actually tell them that.

The rest of the day went by slowly. We all talked about possible things to do for the double-date, though I had little experience with things like that. Of course, going out to dinner was out of the question, considering only one couple was going to eat anything. We ended up deciding on just going to a movie. Classic.

My last class of the day drug on, seeming to taunt me as the hands on the clock slowly, ever so slowly, ticked toward the dismissal time. I thought my head was going to explode from my impatience, but I was eager to get home and tell my parents- or maybe just my mom- the news. She knew how much I liked Jack, so this was bound to excite her. Of course, then I would get this hour-long lecture about 'being careful, this is your first date ever, don't do anything rash or stupid' types of things. This thought made time move all too quickly, and soon the bell was ringing and I was on my way home.

I was thinking about Jack, the date, my mom's reaction, when the truck came around. It came out of nowhere; one moment it was an empty street, the next there was a 10,000 pound truck swerving around the corner. I looked up in alarm, frozen to the spot. It took about two seconds for me to realize the vehicle was out of control, and that it was on a collision course with _me_. I didn't have time to run, or jump, or even move, as I stared my impending doom in the face.

I could only close my eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 5**

The next thing I was conscious of was voices calling my name. Two desperate, familiar voices.

"Cassandra!" Tanya shouted from somewhere farther down the street.

"Cassy!" Kate's voice was closer, and filled with panic. "Cassy, can you hear me?"

I groaned. I could feel every broken bone, feel them with excruciating clarity, but I forced my eyes open anyhow, for my friends' sakes.

"Cassy," she breathed, sighing in relief. Then she turned to her sister. "We don't have much time. She's not going to make it if we don't change her soon."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tanya asked, right next to us now. "You know how she feels about animals. Our diet could be tough for her. Maybe we shouldn't…" Kate hissed.

"She's our _friend_! We can't just let her die!"

Tanya paused for what seemed like an endless moment.

"We'll let her decide," she finally decided. "She will have a decision, however futile."

Kate turned back to me, resigned. "Cassy," she said again, hardly above a whisper. "Are you ready to die?" I stared up in alarm, pain and fear plain in my features. I couldn't speak- something was wrong with my neck- but my expression was answer enough.

"You know what the alternative is," she murmured. "Are you willing to deal with the consequences?"

I knew what she was implying. If I didn't want to die now, I had to become one of them, a vampire. There were plenty of advantages, but with one outstanding exception.

But I didn't care. I just wanted to escape this pain, and I would do anything to get away from it. Surely transformation wasn't as bad as they said it was! So I closed my eyes and acquiesced.

"Okay," Kate said, relief filling her voice, "but we can't do this here; it's too open. We don't want anyone to see…" She trailed off and I felt the sidewalk disappear from beneath me. My eyes fluttered open in surprise as I suppressed another moan.

Tanya had scraped me off the road and was now running at an impossible speed with me in her arms, Kate running close behind. The pain was worse now that I was moving and the edges of my sight began to blur. My breath came out as a low gasp.

"She's getting worse," Tanya said. "We have to hurry. Hang in there, Cassy." I felt a change in atmosphere, and I realized that we had moved inside. She laid me on something soft- a couch?- and tried to make me more comfortable with no apparent success.

"It's going to be okay," Kate said, stroking my forehead. I just closed my eyes again. Her fingers left my face as Tanya's moved my hair away from my neck and pushed it gently to the side. Her breath tickled my jaw.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. And then she bit into my flesh.

I felt her teeth ripping through my skin, but it was hardly painful compared to all the broken bones. But as she bit into my wrists, my ankles, my elbows, another sensation demanded my attention. At first it was just a slight tingling, but as it seeped into my body, it began to get hotter. It grew more pronounced, like someone was lighting my veins on fire. The other pains dulled away, but I was too absorbed by the fire to notice. It filled every thought I had, overpowered every other feeling. I wanted to scream.

But, of course, my body was still irreparably battered, rendering my vocal cords useless. I tried to remind myself that this was what I had chosen, that my only other option was death. Death suddenly sounded like a beautiful word.

I tried to force the thought out of my mind. Of course I didn't want to die! I should be grateful to Tanya and Kate for saving my life, if that was what they were doing, but the burning had expelled every rational thought in my head. All I wanted was death; at least that would bring relief from the scorching flame in my body.

It took all the strength I could muster not to scream, though I could never quite control the occasional whimper that escaped my lips. Both of my friends apologized profusely every time I made a sound, patting my feverish forehead and arms in an attempt to comfort me. All my broken bones were healed after a while- I could tell- so I had complete control of my body, but I held very still to keep Tanya and Kate from feeling too guilty. The only noticeable movement I had made since the transformation started was clenching my fists and gritting my teeth, which also earned an overwhelming amount of sorries.

Time seemed meaningless. I could have lay there for seconds or hours; the only proof that time was still moving forward were the small changes in my body-like the snap of healing bones- that occurred in the midst of the fire. Slowly, though, ever so slowly, I began to think around the pain. Not that the pain was dulling- no, it was just as strong as before- but more that I had a new capacity for it. I could concentrate on other sensations, other sounds, other thoughts.

First, I realized that there was only one person sitting next to me, though I could tell there were still two people in the room. I heard Tanya's voice at the opposite end of the little space, like she was talking to someone; she was on the phone. I let my hearing range outward, wondering who she could be talking to.

"… may need him up here," she said into the speaker. There was a short pause.

"Well, something happened… I'll give you the details later. Long story short, we'll be having another sister soon, and we may need Jasper's help. You know how wild newborns can be." Another pause. "Of course you should come too, Carlisle. I think she's going to be more… difficult than others. She was a vegetarian before this mess, for ethical reasons. Who knows how she'll react when it's time to hunt? You may be interested in this. I know how eager you are to learn new things; this will be the perfect opportunity!" The pause was shorter this time. "Excellent! We'll see you tomorrow." She hung up.

I was hurt. How could she think I would act like every other newborn? I was different when it came to humans; wouldn't the same thing happen as a vampire? Of course, her other theory was that I would behave _worse_ than other newborns because of my human background. I decided then and there that I would prove her wrong, on both accounts.

A long while later, I heard the *click* of a door opening and closing as two other people walked into the room.

"This is her?" a male voice asked calmly. I felt a new set of equally-cold hands on my forehead, my hair. I wanted to pull away from this unknown vampire, but I knew any movement would undermine my self-control. I whimpered.

"Yes, that is her," Tanya said as the hands pulled away. "I don't know how much longer it will be. Kate is positive that she can hear us now, so it shouldn't be too long now."

"I _know_ she hears us," Kate said from next to me. "Her facial expressions change minutely when we talk." They do? I hadn't noticed. "See? Now she's confused because I said that." This almost made me smile, if it weren't for the incessant burning still raging inside of me.

"Interesting," the male voice said. "Most vampires are in too much pain to show any emotion." Really, so I was already different from the others? I felt my lips tug up at the corners, then cringed and whimpered. Everyone was silent.

"She… _smiled_?" Kate asked incredulously.

"Perhaps you were right, Tanya," the man said. "This certainly is going to be a new experience."


	6. Chapter 6

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 6**

I don't know how long we sat there, or how long I burned, but eventually, something changed. On the bright side, the flames in my fingertips began to dull. On the down side, the fire in my heart got _hotter._ The pain slowly left my hands and feet, retreating to my chest as the relief spread. I whimpered.

"It's okay, Cassy, it's almost over," Tanya soothed.

"Tanya, listen," Kate said. "Her heart beat is picking up." It was true; I could feel my heart nearly pounding out of my chest as the flame grew unbearably hot. A spasm rocked through my body and a small squeak escaped my trembling lips. But for once, nobody tried to comfort me; there were no soothing hands on my arms, no calming fingers on my forehead. Everyone was silent, probably watching, as the last part of the transformation took place.

Most of my body was cool and pain-free, but my heart was burning with an unbearable force. Just when I thought it would never end, my heart stuttered and thudded to a stop. The fire was gone.

"Cassandra?" Tanya asked. "Are you okay?" I opened my eyes, looking up straight into hers.

"Yeah," I said, my voice surprising me. "A lot better than before." I jumped onto my feet with impossible speed and looked at everyone in the room.

Tanya and Kate looked mostly the same, but the clarity of their faces now, compared to before, was astonishing. Next to them stood two males, one much younger than the other and covered in scars, though the other was still no older than thirty. I tensed, uncomfortable next to the strangers, and the young one smiled wryly.

"Hello, Cassandra," the eldest greeted. "I am Carlisle. You were very lucky that these two came around when they did." He gestured to Tanya and Kate. "Although, they did mention you were different from other humans, and said you might be different from our kind as well."

"Yeah, I heard about that," I grumbled. They thought I was going to be more difficult than the average newborns. Well, I would be different alright, but not in the way they were expecting.

"Carlisle, let's talk about this later," Tanya suggested warily. "I'm sure her thirst is very uncomfortable."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Carlisle agreed. "My apologies." I felt the hollow burn in my throat, a shadow of the pain I had just experienced, and my eyes widened. I was going to have to kill some poor, innocent creature in order to survive! I saw the other man's head snap up and look at me in confusion as a ripple of fear shot down my spine, and I realized that this must be Jasper, the mood-feeler. It was probably uncommon for a newborn to dread eating, or rather, drinking.

"Come on, Cassy!" Kate said eagerly. "Let's go hunt!"

"No!" I choked, backing up against the wall. Now everyone was staring at me, shock on their faces. "I'm not going to kill an innocent creature for my benefit."

"Amazing," Carlisle murmured. "She's just as controlled as Bella, if not more so. Child, you have to hunt if you want to survive." I opened my mouth to speak, then decided against it and said something else instead.

"Fine. I'll go if the girls come too, but I'm not promising anything." He nodded to Tanya and Kate, who led me outside into the woods, and then we were running. The sensation was amazing- it was unlike anything I'd ever felt before- but we came to a stop all too soon.

We all crouched in the bushes, and I noticed a small herd of deer drinking water from a creek in the clearing. I breathed in cautiously; I could smell their blood, see the pulse in their necks, but I ignored that. I was more absorbed in the water's aroma. It wasn't as unappealing as I would have thought, and it actually smelled _better_ than the deer's' blood. Surely that wasn't natural.

It took me a moment to realize that Tanya and Kate were no longer with me. I swallowed and tried not to think about what they were doing, walking over to the water's edge instead. I kneeled down hesitantly, scooping up a handful to my lips; it didn't taste _good_, but it didn't taste _bad_ either. Even more surprising, it relieved some of the fire in my throat.

"What are you doing?" Kate demanded, standing right next to me.

"This smelled more appealing than the animals," I said truthfully. "Is that natural?" The sisters looked at each other with pure shock on their faces.

"Come with us," Tanya said suddenly. "We're going to see Carlisle."

"Why?" I asked, running next to her.

"It's _not_ natural. I'm hoping he'll be able to make sense of you, of your senses."

"If water was more appealing than blood, don't you think we would drink that instead?" Kate cut in. I just shrugged.

Tanya went into the house ahead of us to explain my predicament to Carlisle while Kate and I lagged behind. We walked through the door just in time to hear his reaction.

"Are you sure? She may be making this up to keep from killing the animals."

"I'm not!" I protested. "That thought actually hadn't occurred to me until you mentioned it." He looked at me curiously.

"Interesting," he said. "Kate, get some water; I want to test this strange diet of hers." Kate nodded and disappeared while Carlisle fidgeted through his bag. "Hold your breath," he warned, pulling something out of the pack. I did as he said, waiting patiently until Kate returned with the water and he had his substance in an open container.

"Now, which container would you rather drink from?"  
>"The water," I answered without inhaling.<p>

"I see." He smiled. "Which one smells more… appetizing?" I looked at the cups doubtfully and took a cautious breath. The smell in the room made my throat burst into flames, and it took all the strength in my body _not_ to lunge at the foreign liquid in Carlisle's hand.

"The blood smells better," I admitted, guessing what it was, "but I'd still rather have the water."

"Understandable," he said. I watched him as he cautiously stepped forward with both cups and held them out to me. I looked at the one with the red syrupy liquid and scrunched up my nose- I was holding my breath again- before taking the water and sipping it delicately. Everyone watched in disbelief.

"Amazing," Carlisle said.

"Unbelievable," Kate breathed.

"I wonder what your limitations to human food are?" Tanya wondered.

"I guess we'll find out," Kate said. "After all, we have school tomorrow." She glanced at Jasper. "I mean, if you think she's up to it."

Jasper pursed his lips. "We should escort her to the school," he finally decided, "and see if the smell is too much for her. You will have to buy contacts for her, though." He chuckled. "Before Bella, I would never have allowed this, but she is acting just as well-behaved as her."

His warning for contacts reminded me of something. "What do I look like?" I wondered. "Tanya said our complexion changes along with… everything else." Kate jumped in front of me, looking excited.

"Of course! You haven't seen your reflection yet, have you? We can't have that; Jack's going to have goo-goo eyes for you tomorrow, and I'm sure you'll want to know why!" My stomach did interesting little flips at the sound of Jack's name. Apparently my feelings for him had strengthened along with my senses. I saw Jasper raise an eyebrow as Kate towed me into the other room.

"Hey, Garrett!" she cooed, gliding over to the vampire lounging on the couch. "Look who's here!" I guess he hadn't been in the room I was in while I was burning.

He smiled at me warmly, then shock crossed his face as he realized who I was.

"Oh! This is that friend of yours…" his smile turned sheepish. "I'm sorry about the other night; I'm just not quite used to this diet yet." I shrugged.

"That's fine," I replied. "I'm sure you'll find _my_ eating habits to be even more unappealing." Kate laughed and Garrett gave her a puzzled look before turning back to the TV.

"This way," she said, dragging me over to the far wall. There, embroidered in gold, was a full-length Elizabethan-style mirror. I stepped tentatively up to it and peeked at my reflection.

My face actually looked quite similar, which surprised me. The only difference was that all my blemishes were gone and my cheekbones were more pronounced. My eyes were a startling ruby-red, and I took comfort that they wouldn't always be that way, though I had no idea what color they would be instead- my diet was going to be different, so my eye color surely would be, too. My stomach was flatter, and I realized that I had been changed into an unfamiliar dress. I turned to Kate, touching the fabric questioningly.

"Your other clothes were in tatters," she explained. "Surely you wouldn't want any of the boys to see _that_." If I could have blushed, I would have. "What do you think?" she asked, changing the subject. "Do you think you look much different?"

"Actually… no," I admitted. "I didn't realize I would still recognize myself after all that." I shuddered. "Actually, I rather thought I would resemble a charred piece of bacon." We both laughed at my assumption.

"Yes, I remember when I felt that way, too," she said, grimacing. "This is quite an improvement, don't you think?" I grinned and nodded.

"Well, I guess the life of a vampire won't be so bad after all."


	7. Chapter 7

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 7**

School was torture; the smell of human blood was everywhere! This didn't surprise me, but what _was_ shocking was just how… powerful it was. I could control the urge to lunge at the humans, which was why I was here, but just barely. I glanced out the window of my math class to see Jasper's cautious yellow eyes in the woods. Yes, I was allowed to be here… if I had a babysitter at all times. Sigh.

After my first few minutes of being 'alone' at the school, I had given up on breathing altogether. The scent was just too strong. I only inhaled when people talked to me or asked me a question, which wasn't often. Luckily I didn't know enough people to get many interviews on things like my eyes or my new face.

But, of course, Jack was sure to have a reaction big enough to make up for everyone else's lack of caring.

Just then, the bell rang, breaking into my thoughts, and I sighed. It was time for lunch, and time to face Jack. It also meant I had to test my diet, since I hadn't exactly eaten much in my first night as a vampire. I would have to use my sense of smell to see what I might like or dislike, while ignoring the humans' scents. Oh, goody.

Tanya and Kate were standing outside my classroom, waiting patiently as I matched my pace to the humans around me.

"I never realized how _slow_ humans were," I grumbled when I finally reached them. "I mean, Jack always complained when I walked too fast- I was too impatient to walk slowly- but this is ridiculous! The word 'fast' shouldn't apply to humans anymore."

"You get used to it," Kate laughed. "Besides, I would have thought you would want to walk slow today; Jack still hasn't seen your new face, and I'm sure he'll have some questions when he does." I groaned.

"Don't remind me! By the way, I might want some, uh, help in the cafeteria. All those humans so close together is bound to drive my instincts insane! It's not so bad right now." I inhaled deeply, smiling now that the burn was less painful.

"You've been desensitizing all day," Tanya said. "You should be fine. But, if it makes you feel better, we will accompany you in line." I smiled in gratitude before pushing open the double doors. We glided over to the lunch line, which was so packed together that I could practically feel everyone's' pulse in the air, and I was thankful that I had already taken a breath in the hall.

We finally made it to the kitchen, where they were serving lunch, and I took another hesitant breath. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the hallway was still easier on my self-control. I let my most important sense range out from the humans and over to their food, looking for something appetizing.

The hamburgers smelled nasty; even if I _wasn't_ a vegetarian, they would have been unappealing. My nose rejected the pizza, the fries, even the chicken nuggets. I paused over by the sides, sniffing cautiously at the apples; they weren't that bad. I took one and moved on to the next fruit. I got an orange and a pear before going to the drinks.

The liquids were easier. Most of them smelled fine, with the small exceptions of flavored water and milk. I grabbed some grape juice and checked out before going to our usual table. Luckily, Jack wasn't there yet.

"Interesting," Tanya said, looking at my tray. "It appears the more natural foods are the ones that appeal to you. There is nothing really 'man-made' on your tray." I opened the grape juice, careful not to break the bottle, and took a sip. It was better than plain water, and I was relieved that the burning in my throat dulled. I downed the drink in seconds. Next, I went for solid food; I weighed the apple in my hands, looking at it doubtfully. It didn't _look_ appetizing, but it didn't _smell_ that bad, either. I let my instinct guide me as I bit into the apple. Without even thinking about it, I sucked it dry, not even bothering to finish the bite.

I pulled away from the dry, slightly wrinkly remains of the fruit, examining the bite mark I had made; I chuckled.

"Do we get to hear the joke?" Kate asked, grinning.

"I feel just like that rabbit from the kids' book _Bunnicula_." I giggled again. "I'm sucking the 'blood' out of plants instead of animals." There was a short pause.

"Interesting theory," Tanya mused. "Carlisle will be interested in hearing about this." I rolled my eyes and raised the orange to my lips, but Jack chose that moment to sit down next to me. I frowned and let it drop back to the table.

"Hey," he said, digging into his hamburger.

"Hi," I said, flinching as my new voice cut through the air. He looked up at me in surprise. I stared straight down at the table.

"Is everything okay?" he asked. "You sound… different."

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm fine. Voice just changed a little. That's common in puberty." Sort of.

"Um, okay. Cassandra, what are you looking at?" I glanced up at the sound of my name, and I heard his breath catch in his throat.

"Wow," he finally stammered. "You look… great. What happened?" I raised an eyebrow. "I mean, not that you didn't look great before," he added quickly, "but you look even better now. I mean… ugh!" He grunted and looked away, but I could have sworn I saw him blush.

"I got a makeover yesterday." I shrugged, remembering my brilliant excuse for my new looks and disappearance this weekend. "My parents thought I deserved one after last Friday."

"Yeah, I heard about that," he said. "Car accidents can be pretty traumatic, huh?"

"You have no idea," I replied darkly. "They also let me get red contacts, too. Now I don't have to wear glasses."

"Cool. I was wondering why your eyes were purple." I smiled. His heart accelerated.

"I gotta go," he said ruefully. "I can't wait until Wednesday." Our date hadn't even occurred to me until he mentioned it. I found the feeling was mutual.

"Right," I replied. "Wednesday."


	8. Chapter 8

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 8**

The next two days went by in a flash. Luckily, Tanya had called my parents while I was burning, so I didn't get many questions about my strange disappearance.

Kate had filled me in on the story they heard. Apparently, the sisters' doctor friend, Carlisle, had been driving us home on Friday when a giant truck came out of nowhere and rammed into the back of his car. The doctor was unharmed and Tanya and Kate were a bit bustled, but I got the worst of it. Carlisle took us back to his house immediately to inspect the damage. Many of my bones had been bruised- but not broken- and he insisted that I stay with them for the weekend so I could recover. This story was about as close to the truth as I could get, so I didn't feel too guilty telling it to my mom and dad. Besides, it was a lot less jaw-dropping than the story I wasn't allowed to tell them… the one that had no lies.

The doorbell jerked me out of my daydream; Kate was here. I examined my dark blue dress carefully once more before rushing down to answer the door.

"Aren't you excited?" she squealed, taking my hands. I smiled nervously.

"Um, sort of?" I made it sound like a question.

"Well, you'd better make that a yes, because Jack's in the car waiting for you." I gulped. The butterflies in my stomach were turning into wasps.

"Come on, little chicken!" she laughed. "Let's get in the car. We don't want to be late to the movie." I nodded and followed her outside, barely turning to say good-bye to my parents as I walked.

She sat up front with Garrett, and I climbed into the backseat where Jack was waiting. He smiled as I shut the door, and all at once the butterflies disappeared. I smiled back warmly, reminding myself not to over-show the teeth, and buckled in. I couldn't help but feel happy; it was as if my nervousness had been caused by staying _away_ from Jack, instead of preparing to _meet_ him, and it seemed silly that I had felt so awkward a second ago.

I didn't know how fast Garrett was driving, but I was sure it was over 100 mph. I didn't mind at all, but I was worried that Jack may not like the speed. He didn't complain, though; I don't think he even noticed, he was staring at me so much. I took great pleasure from this.

The movie was about two hours long. I sat back in my seat, completely relaxed, ready to watch as the lights dimmed. As soon as it was dark, however, the strangest sensation swept through my body. It was almost as if an electric current was running through me, travelling towards Jack and trying to pull me closer to him. I clenched my hands into fists. Well, this was going to be interesting.

I sat through the entire film like that, my body relaxed, my hands clenched, and the electric current trying to undermine my self-control. This longing I felt didn't seem to have anything to do with his blood, though. I wanted to touch him, to hold his hand, anything to show him my feelings, but the shy side of me wanted _him_ to make the first move. It was very confusing.

The show finally ended and the lights turned on. I sighed in relief as my fingers stretched out again. I realized that if I were still human, that would have been an extremely uncomfortable position to hold for two hours straight, but I didn't feel the least bit tense.

We all walked out to the main entrance together and back to the car. We drove in silence.

Garrett came to a stop at Jack's house first, and I came out with him to say good-bye.

"Thanks for coming with me tonight," I said.

"No problem. It was… fun." I saw him blush as he put his key into the lock. "We should do it again sometime. Maybe have dinner?" I thought about this for a moment. He wanted to go on another date with me! The butterflies were back, warring to get out.

"Sure," I replied. "We can talk about it tomorrow." He smiled as he looked up at me, and a strange look came into his eye.

In a way I was sure he meant to be quick, he kissed me on the cheek and went inside. I smiled giddily as I walked back to the car. It was all I could do to maintain human speed.

"You totally like him," Kate accused as Garrett revved the engine.

"Yes," I admitted. "A lot."

"And he totally likes you."

"Apparently." I sighed happily, remembering the feeling of his lips on my skin. In that moment, the electricity had returned, tingling where he had touched me. The sensation was still there, and it wasn't a bad feeling.

We got to my house around eleven. I promised Kate that I would sneak out as soon as my parents were asleep; after all, it was easier to hang around other vampires than it was to lie in my bed and pretend to sleep. I was too impatient for that.

I waited until around midnight, when I was sure I could hear my dad snoring, and jumped out my second-story window. I would be back before they realized I was gone. I ran through the streets, silent as a shadow, and finally reached their house. It was hidden by the forest- this was intentional- so the human eye could easily overlook it, but with my new super-sight it was easy to spot. I walked around the trees, into the building, and froze. There were two more strangers talking with Carlisle.

One was easy enough to identify. With tousled bronze hair and chiseled features, this was obviously the mind reader Tanya was so fond of. The other one was a woman, and the way she looked at the mind reader convinced me that this was his wife, Bella.

"Cassy, look who decided to visit us!" Tanya cooed, watching the couple. "Edward and Bella! They wanted to meet this new friend of ours that Carlisle told them so much about." She glanced at me and smiled. I had a feeling my talent was coming in handy for her, even though her crush was already married.

Edward smiled, and I realized that he was listening to my thoughts, as well as everyone else's. That was bound to get annoying.

"Carlisle's never seen a gift anything like yours," he explained. "Even after… everyone we've met in the past year, your gift is still entirely different. He wondered how you could achieve such a strange talent. We thought it would be best if we knew how your mind works, so we could get a more confident answer." So I was a science experiment now. Lovely. "If Eleazer were here, this would be much easier, but I can't blame him or Carmen for wanting to watch the Volturi after the last stunt they tried to pull. Just go about your life in the usual way. You won't even know I'm here." Yeah, I won't even know you're here; except when I sit down for lunch and you are the only thing Tanya can talk about.

He snickered. Bella gave him a questioning look, but he just waved it away.

"Um…" I paused, not sure how to continue. I didn't want to sound rude, but if Carlisle only wanted Edward here to read my thoughts, then why was the girl here? Was she going to read my mind or something, too?

"No," he answered my unspoken question. "She's here because I'm here. We've been apart enough for one lifetime." She smiled and looked at him in the most peculiar way, and it was obvious that she agreed. The way she watched him, the way she smiled, it reminded me of the way Jack had stared at me a few hours ago. The strange butterfly sensation reappeared in my stomach.

Edward looked amused. Well, of course he was amused! He's been married for about a year, and he's listening to the thoughts of some high school girl who's too hung up over a guy she hardly knows! What's more, that girl-turned-vampire is crushing on a _human_! He couldn't understand how irritating that was.

"Carlisle, would you mind if I talked with Cassandra alone?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "We have more in common than I would have thought."

"Of course," Carlisle said, glancing at me. "Whatever you need." He shooed most of the other vampires away, but Bella wouldn't leave. Edward smiled and kissed her, whispering something in her ear before she left. I didn't want to know.

He waited until he was sure everyone was out of earshot.

"First, let's make sure I have this right," he said, turning to me. "You were in love with this human, Jack, while you were still human?" I nodded. "Then, you had… an accident and became one of us." Again, I nodded. "But your feelings for this human have gotten stronger."

"His name is Jack," I grumbled. But, yes, my feelings have definitely increased.

"I see," he said. "And do you think that's a problem?"

"Of course it's a problem!" I growled, exasperated. "Even if he _did_ like me the way I like him, and we stayed together for a long time, he'd be bound to notice that he was to only one aging! And then when he dies, what would I do? Every second I spend with him, I grow more attached. My life would be over the moment he stops breathing!" He listened to my rant calmly, a small smile forming on his lips. Obviously I was entertaining him.

"You could always change him," he said quietly, watching my reaction.

My eyes widened, horrified. "NO!" How could he even say that? Tanya said he had problems with being a vampire himself, that he would never force this fate upon anyone! Was she wrong?

"Of course not," he answered. "I simply needed to know your reaction. Apparently we are in agreement. Bella was human a year ago, did you know that?" I shook my head in surprise. "She almost died giving birth to our daughter, but I saved her, by some miracle. I didn't want her to change, but she did want to, and she certainly has a way of getting what she wants." He laughed at the memory. "It was absolutely terrifying. I feel for her the same way you feel for Jack, though my feelings are much more developed. If your human were on his deathbed, what would you do?"

I thought for a moment, thinking of my reactions when Tanya had given me an alternative to death. It was a bit difficult to remember those human memories.

"I would change him," I decided. "But otherwise, I would let him be. The only other reason I would have for changing him is if he wanted me to, and he really understood the consequences. Of course, I'll probably never tell him he has the option, so it doesn't really matter anyhow." I've heard of your so-called 'law-enforcement,' and I don't want to risk his life just because I'm insane enough to think he'll say yes.

Edward grinned. Well, at least he understood my predicament. Jack wasn't going to get the perks I had; he would still drink blood and go crazy for the first year of his new life. He wouldn't be able to notice me for a while, or appreciate all his new talents; all he would find important was blood, blood, and more blood. Therefore, no vampirism for Jack Derekson. Well, conditionally.

"Well, it appears you've decided," my new friend said. "Enjoy your life with him. It won't last forever."


	9. Chapter 9

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 9**

As the months passed, my eyes got lighter. Pretty soon they were the same gray-blue as when I was human. I was secretly glad about this; I liked the old color of my eyes, and now I didn't have to wear contacts, or lie about wearing them.

Also, as time moved forward, Jack and I got together more often. I was, without a doubt, completely in love with him. I hated it when we weren't together, though I tried hard not to care, and he claimed that he felt the same way. I doubted his feelings were as strong as mine.

The days passed, slowly but surely, and life continued on normally. Well, as normally as it could be for a love struck vampire.

It was the 30th of May. Finals were coming up, but I wasn't worried about that; I was more concerned about my date tonight. I had gotten unbearably close to Jack; it had gotten so bad that I would go to his house at night just to be closer to him. I was insane.

A car pulled into my driveway, signaling that my date was here. After checking my dress one last time, I ran downstairs to open the door.

"Hi," said jack, blushing when he saw me. Again.

"Hey," I replied. "So, where are you taking me?"

"You'll see." He smiled. "Come on!" He took my abnormally cold hand and led me to the backseat. His mom turned from the front and smiled warmly at me, making me smile back. I liked Jack's mom; she wasn't judgmental about dating and girls like a lot of other parents could be. So she didn't mind driving Jack and me around from place to place.

We got to the restaurant around 6:30. Jack and I waved good-bye to his mom, then went inside.

"Hello," the waitress said. "Welcome to Cheddars. How many?"

"Two," Jack answered, smiling at me.

"Right this way." She led us to a little booth near the back, where there were less people. Good. "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

We talked and laughed the way we usually did for a while, hardly paying any attention to the waiter when he came along. Part of my brain realized that this was kind of rude, but I just couldn't bring myself to care under the circumstances.

"What's up with your diet lately?" Jack asked when we got our food. I had gotten a small salad and side of fruit cocktail, though I knew I would probably have to swallow some of the solid chunks to keep up the human charade for Jack. Maybe.

"I've just been eating healthier," I said, trying to shrug it off.

"No, you haven't. You haven't really been _eating_ anything. Whenever I see you at school, it's usually just with a drink. Even when you do have solid food, I never actually see you eat it." That's because it would freak you out. "Are you becoming anorexic or something? Because you don't need to worry about your weight or anything. I mean, you look… awesome…"

"Jack, I'm not anorexic," I assured him, smiling at his compliment. "This is just the best way for me to eat right now." He thought about this for a moment.

"Why?" he demanded.

"So I don't kill you," I mumbled under my breath. Then, louder. "Jack, my diet is a touchy subject right now. Let's just say I wouldn't be the only one affected if it changed and leave it at that, okay?" I was nearly pleading now. As much as I wanted to tell him the truth, I couldn't put his life in danger. He was making it very hard to be good.

He seemed to understand that the topic was closing, so he tried to change subjects.

"Speaking of food, mine tastes funny," he said, wrinkling his nose. I laughed.

"I'm sure it's just an acquired taste." Neither of us realized how wrong I was.

The rest of dinner passed uneventful. His mom picked us up around 7:45 to drive me home, which was good, because Jack was obviously starting to get tired. He walked me to the front door, anyway.

"That was fun," I said, grinning. He smiled sleepily and nodded. The grin turned sour.

"What's wrong?" I asked, instantly concerned.

"It's nothing," he assured me. "My stomach just hurts a little bit, that's all. Probably ate too much."

"Okay," I said hesitantly. "Get better." I kissed him on the cheek and he smiled weakly.

"Naturally." He squeezed my hand one last time before going back to his mom's car. I laughed and went inside.


	10. Chapter 10

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 10**

The weekend was excruciatingly slow. I tried to enjoy it, but everything I did seemed to remind me of Jack. Was he okay? Did his stomach still hurt? Was I getting paranoid? The latter seemed likely, but I worried just the same. I forced myself not to check on him- it was kind of creepy- which just made me that much more miserable.

"You're just as bad as Edward!" Emmett laughed when he heard me explaining this to Kate. Carlisle's whole family was up here now, including the little half-human and werewolf. Emmett explained Edward's obsession over Bella with unnecessary detail, avoiding his grasp when he came into the room. Of course, Emmett was soon pushed into the kitchen, laughing as he went, and Edward apologized before following after him.

So, I did have some entertainment this weekend, but I couldn't deny the relief I felt when Monday finally came around. I could finally see Jack again!

The morning went by easily enough, and I had to remind myself to walk at a human pace multiple times on my way to lunch. Tanya and Kate stared at me like I was a complete lunatic.

We sat at our usual table, not bothering to get our food, and talked while I waited for Jack. But he never came. Time came and went, and still he didn't show up. A wave of disappointment crashed over me, and a wave of worry. Where was he? Was he sick? I was totally paranoid.

"Um, hey, Veronica," I said, catching my old friend before she left the cafeteria. "Where's Jack?"

"Oh, didn't you hear? Jack's in the hospital. They think he has salmonella." I froze. Jack… was in… the _hospital_?

"Can you cover for me next hour?"I asked, fighting to keep my voice low.

"Sure," she said, obviously confused. "Why?"

"I need to see Jack." My voice was strained. I had spent the entire weekend trying to stay away from my boyfriend, and now I find that he's in the _hospital_! I wasn't being paranoid, I was being perfectly sane. This is exactly why I worry! He was never going to leave my sight again.

I forced myself to slow down when I got to the parking lot. After all, it wouldn't help Jack heal if he saw me panicking like this. I walked through the double doors calmly but quickly- if you can call human speed 'quick'- and right up to the main secretary.

"Jack Derekson?" I asked, not entirely keeping the worry out of my voice.

She looked up and gave me a sympathetic- but somehow still bored- look. "Room 220," she said. I thanked her and walked away at a normal pace until she could no longer see me. Then I was off, rushing through the hallway and stopping just in front of his room. I almost opened the door, but something stopped me; there were _two_ heartbeats there. One of them was fainter, weaker, which must have been Jack's, but the other one was strong and healthy. I guessed that this was his mother, or a nurse.

I heard the stranger get up from their chair and slowly walk over to the door, where I was standing just on the other side. I backed up a few steps so I would look like I had just gotten there.

Jack's mother stepped out of the room and almost ran into me.

"Oh, sorry Cassandra," she said, wiping her eyes.

"It's okay," I said, pausing. "How is he?"

"Well, he claims he's feeling better," she whimpered. "But…" she stopped talking as more tears filled her eyes.

"But what?" I asked quietly.

"They've given him less than a week!" she choked, bursting into loud, slightly embarrassing sobs. A strange pricking feeling crept up into my own eyes, and I knew that I would be crying too, if I were still human.

"It's okay," I soothed her. "Everything's going to be fine." A sudden, fierce determination made me set my jaw. "I am NOT going to let him die like this."

"That's very brave, sweetie," she said doubtfully. Obviously she thought this was out of my control, that I couldn't do anything that would change his future. Well, I could do one thing.

She patted my back and started walking in the other direction.

"I'll let you two be alone for a while," she said. "And I'll let the school know you're here so you don't get in trouble." This was why I loved Jack's mom; she didn't lecture me about skipping school, especially under the circumstances. She just let me be and kept me out of detention. I was grateful.

As soon as I walked into Jack's room, I knew the image I saw was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. My friend lay in a small white bed, mostly covered by blankets, but what I could see of him was all skin and bones. He was as pale as me, and a little green, but that wasn't what scared me. He had been strong and healthy just three days ago; that happy-go-lucky teen had been reduced down to a skeleton with a heartbeat in record time.

The doctors gave him less than a week. I gave him less than a day.

"Hi," Jack said when he saw me, smiling weakly.

"Hello," I replied. Then I took a deep breath. "Jack, I need to talk to you." I had to tell him, about me, about all of us. He had to understand that there was an alternative to death.

"Shoot." He patted the side of the bed, inviting me to sit; I was surprised it didn't break his arm.

I walked the short distance to the other end of the room and sat, picking up his hand gently. It was almost as cold as mine.

"I'm not gong to sugar-coat it," I told him, putting his palm to my cheek. "Jack, you're going to die soon." His heart rate sped.

"No, I'm not," he objected. "I'm getting better…" I put a finger to his lips.

"Don't talk, just listen. You're not getting better, you're getting worse. The doctors have given you about a week, but I honestly don't think you'll last that long." I paused, stroking his cheek until he closed his eyes. "You do have another option, though, if you choose to take it." His eyes fluttered open.

"Anything," he said, looking at me hopefully.

"You may want to hear what it is first," I said, laughing humorlessly. "_I've_ had enough trouble adapting to it, and I certainly don't want you to go through that." He watched me questioningly. I sighed.

"Jack, I'm not what you think I am." His eyebrows creased.

"What-"

"Just let me explain," I said, cutting him off. "You've been wondering about the way I eat. And my new face. And my strange eyes. And probably plenty of other things, too. Did you happen to realize that all of this changed after the car accident?" He thought about it and nodded. "Well it wasn't quite the car accident you're thinking of." Again, the questioning eyes.

"Well, I was walking home from school on Friday…"


	11. Chapter 11

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 11**

I told him everything. I told him about Tanya and Kate, about my incident with the truck, about my strange behavior afterwards. I also told him about the excruciating pain of transformation, before he could make his final decision. I didn't sugar-coat anything.

"Wow," Jack breathed when I had finished. "So… you're a vampire?" I nodded. "But you don't drink blood." I shook my head. "Awesome!" He coughed and I patted his arm. He was getting worse.

"You don't have much time," I reminded him. "You might want to make your decision."

"And my options are 'turn or die?'" Again I nodded. "Great." Sarcasm.

A long silence enveloped the room as he thought. I listened to his heartbeat, knowing it would soon stop one way or another, and wishing desperately that it didn't have to. Well, there was no turning back now.

"Alright," he finally whispered. "I've decided." I waited, my body tensing for the answer. "I'm not a vegetarian, so it wouldn't be too hard for me to adjust to the diet. And I would much rather live with you forever than die of food-poisoning-on-steroids." A big grin spread across my face. I hugged him and kissed him full on the lips, ignoring the burn in my throat. It wouldn't bother me much longer.

"Okay," I said. "But first we have to get you out of here. It would raise a lot of questions if your heart stops in three days, you're as cold as a corpse, and you walk out of the building at 25 mph." He smiled halfheartedly, but I could see the fear in his eyes. I could only hope he would feel better when the transformation was complete.

I whipped out my phone and called Carlisle.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Carlisle? It's Cassandra. I need a favor."

"Ah. Alice told me what happened. Don't worry, your friend will be 'transferred' within the hour." Thank you Alice!

"Thanks!" I said, giddy with relief. I hung up and turned back to Jack, smiling reassuringly.

"It's okay," I soothed, moving the hair out of his eyes. "You're going to be fine."

I stayed with him for the next hour, patting his face, trying to keep his heart rate low. I didn't want him to think about pain until it was unavoidable. In fact, I was probably even less excited than he was, since I had experienced it first hand, and I wasn't looking forward to watching him burn, too.

A male doctor came into the room, explaining that Jack was transferring to another hospital and that I should leave. It wasn't hard to convince him otherwise.

I sat next to Jack in the ambulance, stroking his face, kissing his forehead. That was bound to distract him. There was only one other human with us, a blonde woman in a green uniform, but she was courteous enough to give us our privacy. As far as she was concerned, we didn't have much time left, anyhow, which probably explained her silence.

We finally reached our destination: a hospital in Fairbanks. I knew Carlisle would be waiting out front to take their patient away, and sure enough, I soon heard him speaking with the driver. The exchange was short; Carlisle had complete custody of us within a few seconds.

The back doors opened and Carlisle helped the others get Jack down from the platform, though we both knew perfectly well that he could have easily handled the stretcher himself. I jumped down after them and helped Carlisle push it into the hospital. After looking around to ensure no one was watching, we rushed into a deserted hallway to get more organized. I lifted Jack into my arms, refusing to let Carlisle take him, and he put the stretcher away. Then we were off, running through the building, avoiding human contact, going straight out the back door. Jack was limp in my arms, passed out from weakness or fright, I didn't know. I was just glad he wasn't in pain. Yet.


	12. Chapter 12

Cassandra: A True Vegetarian

**Chapter 12**

We made it back to the house in record time, putting the ambulance's speed to shame. I set my friend down on a bed – which was just a prop for the human charade- and shook his shoulder gently. I hated to wake him, but we had to talk one more time before anyone bit him. It had never really occurred to me that I might not be the one to do it until we had arrived, and I had to know if he had a preference for who would change him. I was insane.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me calmly. There was acceptance in his eyes.

"Jack…" I paused. How did I ask this kind of question?

"Yes?" he asked quietly.

"Do you… want me to change you?" I asked awkwardly. "I mean, I'd be happy to, but I _am_ a newborn, and I could lose control… Carlisle or Tanya is much more reliable."

"I'd kind of want you to do it," he admitted, "but not unless you think you can. I'd hate to make you uncomfortable." Yes, killing you would certainly make me uncomfortable.

I inhaled deeply, testing my control. The scent was hardly noticeable to me now. Maybe I could pull it off…

I dispelled the thought. I couldn't risk his life like that! Carlisle would have to do it. He wasn't going to lose control. He was the safest route to take.

Everyone came into the room then, except for Jacob and Renesmee. It was very cramped. Edward and Carlisle were closest to Jack and me, probably to help with the change. I had no idea why everyone else was here.

"They were curious to see what all the commotion's about," Edward said quietly. "The wanted to meet the new member of the family." I smiled at that last word. Jack was part of our family, of _my_ family, and he always would be.

They had seen everything there was to see, so most of them migrated away to the other rooms, leaving only Alice, Edward, and Carlisle with me. The doctor turned to Jack.

"Wait," I said, feeling torn. I didn't completely trust myself to keep him alive, but I certainly wasn't going to watch Carlisle do it!

"She wants to transform him herself," Edward said flatly, watching me. Measuring my control, as was I.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Carlisle asked me, raising an eyebrow.

"No," I admitted, "but Jack wants me to do it." Edward nodded to his adoptive father.

"She'll be fine," Alice chirped up, her eyes focused on something far away. "She loves him too much to get carried away." Thank you Alice! "Besides, we could always pull her off if she goes too far." I grimaced. Yeah, thanks a lot.

"Very well," he said hesitantly. "If you insist." I nodded once and turned back to Jack, who had closed his eyes again.

"Sorry," I whispered, leaning over him. Slowly, carefully, I moved his head to the side and kissed his neck. Then I bit down.

It was unlike anything I had ever tasted. The blood was better than any piece of fruit, and certainly better than water. But I had dealt with temptation like this before, sort of.

I was reminded of when I was human, just before I had become a vegetarian. I used to eat hamburgers; sure they tasted good at the time, but as soon as I was done I felt unbearably guilty and depressed. This was bound to give me the same reaction, only much stronger, and I was NOT going to make Jack my next hamburger.

I pulled away from my boyfriend and heard Edward chuckle behind me. I didn't care; he could tell everyone about my strange revelation if he wanted. It's what kept me from being a normal vampire.

I moved on to his wrists, his ankles, the crease at his elbows, anywhere the skin showed to help spread the venom. Pretty soon I had done all I could, and I sighed. He was already writhing in pain, though no sound came from his lips, and I knew that this was probably for my sake. I was grateful.

"I think Cassy would like it if we let her stay alone with him," Alice said, gliding slowly toward the door. Carlisle followed after her, but Edward paused by the exit.

"Very interesting analogy," he said before disappearing around the corner. I smiled.

The next three days were torture. Jack never made any noise, but it was plain on his features that he could feel every tongue of flame that shot through his body. I would stroke his arms, pat his forehead, remembering how good the cold felt against my overheated skin as I burned. Hopefully it helped him, too. My family would come in and visit me regularly, but I had nothing to say to them, so they usually just sat there with me to help comfort Jack. Only Edward and Jasper seemed to avoid the room, though with their talents, I couldn't blame them.

My parents weren't too happy that I was skipping school, but Carlisle, Alice and I had managed to convince them that I would never be able to concentrate until my friend was better. I would come back on Friday.

Finally, on Wednesday night, something changed. I could feel the heat in Jack's hand beginning to dull, and his heart began to beat faster. Before I could call out, Edward and Carlisle were there, watching us.

"It's almost over," Edward murmured, turning as Bella came into the room. Her expression was sympathetic.

"I remember that," she whispered, shuddering.

"He'll be fine in a few minutes," Carlisle said, touching my shoulder. I grinned, relieved. His heart would stop soon, and he would be just like me.

I remembered the conversation Edward and I had all those months ago, about my addiction to Jack. 'My life would be over the moment he stops breathing,' I had said. Well, this path wasn't really an option until he got himself sick. Besides, he would still breathe, he just wouldn't need to anymore.

Just then, his heart went into overdrive, breaking me out of my daydream. He groaned and I squeezed his hand, hoping he knew the pain was almost gone.

Finally, there was an odd, stuttering *thump* from his chest, and silence. I knew then that my life was complete. Jack and I would never be separated by something as simple as mortality ever again. The only question that remained now was if he still _wanted_ to be with me forever.

And by the look in his ruby-red eyes when they stared up into mine, I knew that he did.


End file.
